The U.S. health care system is in turmoil. Increasing costs, loss of margins, inflation, supply and staff shortages and burnout are among the challenges, notes Orthopedicstoday.
For many physicians, the complexity and uncertainly encourage employment in large systems to buffer the variable risk. According to Physicians Advocacy Institute, more than half of all physicians are employed by a health care system or hospital and many others are employed by corporate entities.
The landscape of ASC ownership is changing. Nonphysician investors, such as hospitals and private equity groups, are pursuing ownership or partnership with ASC physician owners and recognize this valuable business model.
The value of an ASC is in direct proportion to the number and types of cases performed, which can only be done by surgeons, not administrators or advanced practice providers. When a facility cannot incentivize or contractually restrict surgeons to use its facility, ASCs will lose cases, have reduced revenue and run the risk of a failed venture.
With many ASCs being surgeon owned and led, typical arrangements provide an environment that consistently outperforms hospital outpatient centers and multispecialty ASCs in patient and surgeon satisfaction and revenue with attractive growth margins. Read more.